Samsung’s biggest tablet ever is sleek, smart, and seriously powerful. But with Apple’s iPad Pro setting the benchmark, the Tab S10 Ultra has a tall mountain to climb.
The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra might just be the most serious tablet Samsung has ever made — with a 14.6-inch OLED screen, a processor from MediaTek that breaks company precedent, and battery life that makes long-haul travel a breeze. But in a world where Apple’s iPad Pro still dominates the premium tablet conversation, the question isn’t just whether the S10 Ultra is good. It’s whether good is still enough.
A Bigger, Bolder Tablet That’s Surprisingly Thin
You notice the size first. It’s huge.
Samsung didn’t pull any punches with the S10 Ultra’s display — 14.6 inches of OLED, and yet the body is so thin it feels borderline sci-fi. At just 0.21 inches, it slips into a laptop bag like a magazine. Somehow, it’s also IP68 rated. Water and dust be damned.
The screen is sharp, too. At 2960 x 1848 resolution and with a 120Hz refresh rate, it looks every bit as good as some of the OLED TVs in hotel rooms.
Only one sentence here. That screen pops in low light.
And then there’s the processor. Samsung shocked its own fanbase by going with the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ — a top-tier chip that’s usually seen in phones, not flagship tablets. This marks the first time Samsung ditched Qualcomm or its own Exynos lineup for a premium device like this.
Storage, RAM, and the Case That Costs as Much as a Budget Phone
The configurations are what you’d expect from a device flirting with the $1,000 mark. But there’s a catch.
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12GB RAM + 256GB storage
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12GB RAM + 512GB storage
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16GB RAM + 1TB storage
Honestly, 16GB feels like overkill unless you’re the kind of user juggling seven apps and a Photoshop project. There’s a microSD slot, though — expandable up to 1.5TB. But weirdly, that’s still less than the cheaper Tab S10 FE’s 2TB limit.
Now about that keyboard case. It’s $349. That’s more than a budget phone in some markets. And no, one wasn’t included for testing.
Good news? It’s compatible with the older Tab S9 Ultra’s keyboard, so if you’re upgrading, no need to buy a new one. That’s rare. And smart.
A Media Machine with Killer Sound — and a Quad Camera Setup
This thing is built for binge sessions.
Whether it was Netflix or MLB.tv, the Tab S10 Ultra handled streaming like a champ. Part of that credit goes to the four AKG-tuned speakers. They’re loud. Like, cover-up-plane-engine loud.
And despite the massive screen, the battery holds up surprisingly well. Watching a 3-hour movie drained just 15-20%. That’s not marketing fluff — it actually delivered.
Let’s break that down a bit:
| Feature | Performance |
|---|---|
| Video Playback (Samsung Claim) | Up to 16 hours |
| Actual Playback (User Test) | ~13.5 hours |
| Battery Capacity | 11,200 mAh |
| Display Type | AMOLED 2X (120Hz) |
So yeah, it holds its own.
Camera-wise, there’s a quad setup — two on the front, two on the back. It’s built with video calling in mind, not photography. Still, if you must take pictures with a tablet, this is probably the one to do it with.
Face unlock works fast. Fingerprint sensor? Not so much. It’s there, but don’t expect S25 Ultra-level speed.
MediaTek 9300+ Holds Its Ground — Until You Stack It Against Apple
In real-world use, the processor feels snappy. Apps load quick. There’s no noticeable lag. But benchmarks? That’s where the cracks start to show.
GeekBench 6 says the Tab S10 Ultra performs about the same as the Galaxy S24 Ultra. That’s decent — for a phone. When it comes to graphics-heavy tasks, it lags behind the newer S25 Ultra and OnePlus 13, both of which use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Elite.
Then there’s the iPad Pro M4.
This is where Samsung loses ground. In both CPU and GPU benchmarks, Apple’s M4 chip basically doubles the Tab S10 Ultra. If you’re buying for raw speed, the iPad Pro wins. No contest.
One sentence again: Android tablets are still playing catch-up.
But let’s be honest. Not everyone needs that kind of power.
Where the Samsung Ecosystem Shines — And Where It Still Fumbles
Here’s something that Samsung rarely gets enough credit for — its devices play really well together.
The Tab S10 Ultra, when paired with a Samsung laptop or phone, makes multitasking feel less like a chore. You can mirror screens, drag files, take calls, or stream audio between them.
It’s not quite Apple-tier seamlessness, but it’s better than most Android setups.
The tablet can mirror to a Samsung TV, control SmartThings devices, and even extend your PC’s display.
But it’s not perfect. Bixby is still awkward. Some integration features are buried in menus. And unlike Apple, Samsung doesn’t market its ecosystem aggressively enough. Most people don’t even know what’s possible — or how to enable it.
That’s a missed opportunity. Big one.
Final Thoughts? Almost There, But Not Quite iPad-Pro-Level Yet
At $999, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is clearly gunning for Apple’s iPad Pro. And in many ways, it gets dangerously close.
Still, the iPad Pro M4 is a tough act to follow. It’s smaller, faster, and backed by an OS that’s laser-focused on tablets. The Tab S10 Ultra, while impressive, feels like it’s still stuck between a supercharged Android phone and a PC replacement.
For Android fans, it’s the best tablet you can buy. For everyone else, it’s… tempting. But maybe not tempting enough to ditch Apple — yet.
